Suicide: Lagos Police deploy men to bridges

The Lagos State Police Commissioner, Fatai Owoseni has increased the number of policemen deployed to areas prone to suicide attempts.

The Commissioner, Rapid Response Squad of the Command, Tunji Disu, made the disclosure on Saturday.

When asked if there was any report of suicide attempts in the last 24 hours, Disu said, “There has been none. But in such an instance, (witnesses) should call 112 or 767. The numbers are working. The policemen are there. We have policemen on the bridges everywhere.

“We have police presence everywhere (in Lagos). They have been there even before these incidents. We only increased them to bolster efforts and increase the confidence of the people.”

The Police Public Relations Officer in Lagos State, Olarinde Famous-Cole, also spoke on the development, but however refused to state how many officers had been deployed.

The police spokesperson said, “Those are sensitive security questions. What I can say is that we already have security personnel off and on the bridge.

“But because of the prevailing issues now, we have positioned most of them towards members of the public who may, at some point, want to take their lives. We are focusing more on that. But security in general still continues on and off the bridge, and elsewhere in Lagos.”

Famous-Cole added, “There is an ongoing investigation on the part of the police. The state government is aware of the situation and is working hand in hand with the police and non-governmental organisations.”